1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to anaerobic bacterial digestion systems and more particularly to products and processes for improving such anaerobic digestion systems. Specifically, the subject invention relates to a product and process designed to stimulate and increase the metabolic action of bacteria present in anaerobic sewage digestion systems such as septic tanks, anaerobic digesters, and the like, and especially in instances when such systems have gone sour.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Anaerobic bacterial digestion systems are utilized in a wide variety of situations. Most commonly, such situations involve various types of residential and industrial sewage treatment facilities. One such common facility is the septic tank system which is generally designed for home residential use and is adapted to receive and treat a wide variety of organic waste matter including particulate material. The septic tank system is generally designed to operate in a continuous manner over a wide variety of temperatures. Another common type of facility is the anaerobic digester which is generally designed to be run at certain specified temperatures over a specific period of time and is normally adapted to receive a particular type of waste stream such as manure from a farm area, a chemical waste stream from a manufacturing plant, and the like.
Another type of anaerobic digestion system includes anaerobic fermentation systems adapted to produce various food stuffs. Since such systems are not oriented to receiving waste sewage products but are rather designed to produce various food products, the specific organic material received by such systems differs greatly from typical sewage systems as described above. However, the anaerobic digestion process which takes place within such systems is quite similar to that occurring within a sewage treatment system.
Anaerobic digestion systems as described above generally operate most efficiently in a neutral or slightly basic pH environment. Acidity in the system environment tends to inhibit the metabolism rate of anaerobic bacteria as well as their growth, and the stronger the acidity, the greater the inhibition. Thus, when such systems become sour, or acidic, their efficiency decreases accordingly, and organic matter tends to build up in the system without being effectively treated. In the case of a residential septic system, waste matter is putrefied in a septic tank by decomposition through bacterial action. A souring of the septic tank environment reduces the decomposition action and allows organic matter to fill the tank. This continual addition of organic matter to the tank without effective decomposition will eventually cause a breakdown in the system and backup of the pipes leading to the tank. Similar results can be found in other anaerobic digestion environments wherein the environment has become soured.
One common way to rejuvenate a soured system, or to prevent souring of a healthy system and thereby stimulate continued bacterial action, is to add one or more chemicals to the system to increase the pH thereof. One commonly advertised product presently on the market is SEPTO-SOLVE, a trademark product manufactured by Cansan Consumer Products of Canada. This particular product contains hydrated lime which would be expected to raise the pH to thereby increase biodegredation within the system and promote recovery. One distinct problem with adding such a product a closed waste treatment system is that it tends to raise the pH too much, and this will significantly decrease a microbial activity.
Another approach to rejuvenating a sour anaerobic system is to add additional bacteria and nutrients to the environment. A product which embodies this technique is known as RID-X, a trademark product manufactured by The d-Con Company, Inc. This particular product contains dried sewage sludge as well as additional organic matter. However, a problem with this type of product is that the bacteria contained in a dried sewage sludge are frequently not particularly viable considering the stress of the drying process as well as the exposure of anaerobic bacteria to oxygen. Without having healthy, viable bacteria, the mere addition of organic matter to an already sour system may in fact be more harmful than beneficial.